Good morning to you!
Recently, one of the language blogs I read provided a short list of words that have opposite or contrary definitions. These words are called contronyms, antagonyms, or Janus words (after the Roman god who is usually depicted as having two faces). The article got me thinking about how many of these words there are and about how confusing that must be to English language learners!
If you grew up speaking English, you may not have even noticed that these words can have two totally opposite meanings. Since I’m feeling a little contrary today, I’ll share some of the more common contronyms with you. This is not a complete list.
| Word | First meaning | Alternate meaning |
| Buckle | To fasten or secure
Ex: Be sure to buckle your seatbelt. |
To bend or warp
Ex: After hours of hiking, my legs started to buckle. |
| Cleave | To join or adhere closely
Ex: This dressmaker chose material that cleaves to the skin. |
To split or divide
Ex: You can use the axe to cleave the tree. |
| Dust | To remove dust/dirt from
Ex: Don’t forget to dust the furniture. |
To sprinkle something on
Ex: Dust the strawberries with sugar. |
| Enjoin | To instruct, prescribe, or command
Ex: My sister enjoined me not to tell anyone her secret. |
To prohibit or forbid
Ex: The judge enjoined them from selling the property. |
| Execute | To start or begin a process
Ex: When you are ready, you can execute your plan. [dbb – As part of our commitment to inclusive, bias-free language, JH avoids using |
To kill or bring to an end
Ex: They performed ritual executions as offerings to their gods. |
| Left | Departed
Ex: The singer left the stage. |
What remains
Ex: There are only six donuts left. |
| Overlook | To monitor or inspect
Ex: From her balcony, she could overlook her neighbor’s backyard. |
To fail to notice or choose not to emphasize
Ex: He chose to overlook his toddler’s tantrum. |
| Out | Visible
Ex: The moon is out. |
Invisible or extinguished
Ex: He put the candle out. |
| Peruse | To skim or read without attention to detail
Ex: You can peruse the magazine while you wait for the doctor. |
To read or example in detail
Ex: She leaned forward to peruse the document more closely. |
| Presently | In a short while; soon
Ex: The president will arrive presently. |
At the present time; now
Ex: Presently, we have 250 participants. |
| Rent | To sell or lease the use of a commodity
Ex: He will rent his extra room to Dan. |
To buy the use of a commodity
Ex: Dan will rent a room from Sean. |
| Sanction | To permit or grant approval
Ex: Their policy was sanctioned by management. |
To condemn or penalize
Ex: The government has sanctioned the use of force. |
| Screen | To protect or conceal
Ex: If you have small children, you should screen them from violence on the TV. |
To show or broadcast
Ex: They will screen the final episode on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. |
| Transparent | Obvious
Ex: His behavior was very transparent—he was trying to get her in trouble. |
Invisible
Ex: The onion was sliced so thin that it was almost transparent. |
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | Symitar®
8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Ext: 765432
Pronouns she/her/hers
About Editor’s Corner
Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.
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